a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to an automotive instrument panel having a Passenger Side Inflatable Restraint (PSIR) chute, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for attaching a PSIR chute to an automotive instrument panel.
b. Description of Related Art
Automotive vehicles are commonly equipped with airbags for reducing driver and passenger injuries in the case of an accident. Automotive vehicle airbags are generally located in areas where a driver or passenger would potentially contact an automobile interior in the event of an accident. Such airbags can reduce injuries by providing a substantially non-solid surface for the driver or passenger to contact, as opposed to the generally solid surfaces of the automotive vehicle interior. Although the functionality of the airbag is greatly valued, the visual and aesthetic appeal of the automotive vehicle instrument panel, and invisibility of the airbag system are also of value to automotive vehicle manufacturers and consumers.
In order to install an airbag, the airbag is generally folded into a module that is installed into or behind an automotive interior component. The module housing a passenger-side airbag is generally installed on the underside of an automotive instrument panel, within a PSIR chute protruding behind the automotive instrument panel. The automotive instrument panel may generally have a pre-weakened area or line, allowing an airbag to release therethrough. A PSIR chute can be bonded to the automotive instrument panel, and can generally include PSIR doors that line up with the pre-weakened area or line of the automotive instrument panel.
For example, FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective view of an exemplary automotive instrument panel 10 in an automotive interior 12. The automotive instrument panel 10 is adjacent windshield 14, and contains on its underside a sectional view of a conventionally mounted PSIR chute assembly 16. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating exemplary deployment characteristics of a typical PSIR airbag. Referring to FIG. 2, a passenger P is positioned on the passenger side of an automobile interior 12 in front of automotive instrument panel 10 and windshield 14, and deployed airbag 18 must open at a substantially oblique trajectory T relative to PSIR forward door 20 and PSIR rearward door 22. Referring to FIG. 3, a sectional perspective view of a conventional PSIR chute assembly 16 is shown. The PSIR chute assembly 16 is located behind automotive instrument panel 10 having an instrument panel outer surface 24 or “A” surface and attached to an instrument panel inner surface 26 or “B” surface. The PSIR chute assembly 16 comprises chute 28 located behind PSIR forward door 20 and PSIR rearward door 22 which are coupled at center score line 30. The PSIR chute assembly 16 includes a first chute hinge 32 hingedly connected to a chute forward door 34 and includes a second chute hinge 36 hingedly connected to a chute rearward door 38. The chute forward door 34 is located substantially directly behind the PSIR forward door 20, and the chute rearward door 38 is located substantially directly behind the PSIR rearward door 22. The PSIR chute assembly 16 further includes chute sidewalls 40a, 40b, and chute end wall 42 connected by connectors 44 and which contain and guide an airbag 46. The airbag 46 is contained within the chute sidewalls 40a, 40b, and chute end wall 42, and is deployed through chute doors 34, 38 and PSIR doors 20, 22 upon deployment. The PSIR chute assembly 16 further includes a first chute flange 48 and a second chute flange 50.
Known methods for attaching a PSIR chute to an automotive instrument panel can include vibration welding the PSIR chute to the automotive instrument panel. Vibration welding joins components by “rubbing” such components together, creating heat through the friction, melting the connection points, and applying or holding pressure until the components cool together, thereby welding the components at the connection points. Welding melts the connection points between the instrument panel and PSIR chute, thus causing the volume of the melted instrument panel and PSIR chute material to shrink relative to the other surrounding material upon cooling and to shrink unevenly relative to each other. Namely, during the known vibration welding of an automotive instrument panel and PSIR chute, there is a deflection of score weakened PSIR door lines. As such, during the known vibration welding of an instrument panel and a PSIR chute, as shown in FIG. 4, there can be visible distortion 52 of the outer surface 24 of the automotive instrument panel 10.
It is desirable to manufacture a fully functional PSIR chute assembly without compromising the visual and aesthetic appeal of the automotive instrument panel. It would therefore be of benefit to provide an apparatus and method for attaching a PSIR chute to an automotive instrument panel that provides advantages over known components and manufacturing methods.